Crab Dynamite Sushi Bake Cups

SERVES: 4 PREP: 10 minutes TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes

Crab Dynamite Sushi Bake Cups

SERVES: 4 PREP: 10 minutes TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes

Individual sushi bakes made in muffin tins—no raw fish required.

Making sushi at home is not at the top of everyone’s weeknight cooking list, but you know what should be? A sushi bake. It’s exactly what it sounds like: baked sushi! The TikTok-favorite dish is typically made with a layer of seasoned sushi rice in a 13x9 baking dish, then furikake (a Japanese seaweed rice seasoning), and a creamy mixture of Kewpie mayonnaise, cream cheese, and imitation crab (and sometimes other fish). But it makes a LOT and if you’re living alone or just sharing a meal with one other person, you may not want to eat the same thing four days in a row. Our solution? A muffin tin for individual sushi bake cups, using Chrissy’s favorite Dynamite Scallops recipe with shredded imitation crab instead. This creamy, slightly spicy, mushroom-and-crab mixture pairs perfectly with rice and tucks into a seaweed snack for little sushi hand rolls anytime—solo or for a crowd! You will probably eat three little cups of sushi bake per pack of seaweed snacks, so if you do decide to entertain with them, consider doubling if it’s the main dish. Otherwise, they store well in the fridge for up to four days.

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INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS

For the rice:

¾ cup short-grain sushi rice
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons furikake rice seasoning, plus more for garnish

For the crab dynamite:

3 tablespoons canola oil
7 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, roughly chopped
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
½ cup mayonnaise (preferably Kewpie), plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Cravings’ Chili Garlic seasoning (optional)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
8 ounces imitation crab legs

For serving:

1 ripe avocado, sliced thinly
1 seedless cucumber (such as Persian), sliced into matchsticks
4 packs of seaweed snacks

Make the sushi rice:

First, rinse the rice to remove excess starch, which keeps the rice from getting gummy when cooking. Add ¾ cup rice into a pot or large bowl. Add enough water to cover, then swish the rice around in the water; the water should be very cloudy. Drain into a fine-mesh strainer or colander and repeat this process two more times until the water is almost completely clear.

Combine the rinsed rice and ¾ cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to low; cover and cook for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together salt, sugar, and rice vinegar. Microwave for 30 seconds and mix until the salt and sugar dissolve. Once the rice is done cooking, fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly. Drizzle in the vinegar mixture and fold in with a spatula. Stir in furikake, cilantro, and scallions. Set aside.

Make the dynamite sauce:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large (10- or 12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms to the pan with ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the mushrooms have released their water and look dry, 4–5 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Add the mayo, sriracha, lime juice, sugar, soy sauce, Cravings’ Chili Garlic seasoning (if using), and sesame oil, and stir until incorporated.

Shred the imitation crab into small pieces. (You can do this by rubbing it together between your palms until it shreds, using a fork to shred, or by putting it all in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.) Add to the dynamite sauce, sprinkle in scallions, and stir to combine.

Build and bake the dish:

Add ¼ cup rice to the bottom of each section of a 12-cup muffin tin, then add ¼ cup crab dynamite mixture. Bake, uncovered, until the top is browned, about 20 minutes. Garnish each with more scallions, cilantro, furikake, and a drizzle of mayonnaise. To serve, take a seaweed snack, add about half a “muffin” worth of rice and crab mixture, a slice of avocado, a piece of cucumber, and some scallions and furikake. (Or any mix of those ingredients!) Eat and repeat.